SOUTH DEERING — A 17-year-old murdered in South Deering Monday night — a college-bound athlete at Urban Prep's Englewood campus — is the first student from the school killed by gun violence, school officials said.
Deonte Hoard was with a 23-year-old man around 7:15 p.m. in the 10600 block of South Yates Avenue when someone opened fire, police said.
Deonte, of the 10500 block of South Oglesby Avenue, was shot in his chest and was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.
The 23-year-old man was grazed in his head and taken to Trinity Hospital, where he was treated and released.
The shooting stunned the school community.
"It is with great sadness that I'm writing to inform you that last night, Urban Prep Englewood Campus senior Deonte Hoard was shot and killed while walking to his home in the South Deering neighborhood," Urban Prep founder and CEO Tim King wrote in an email Tuesday. "Police reports indicate that the gunfire came from someone in a black SUV and that no suspects have been apprehended."
King said Deonte was an "exuberant young man" who played for the school's basketball and track teams. He was college bound.
"He'd been admitted to several colleges and was scheduled to receive his red & gold striped tie during this week's On to the Next One Ceremony celebrating our seniors' admission to college," said King, refering to an annual event in which the school has announced that 100 percent of its seniors are headed to college.
King said Deonte was the first pupil murdered while enrolled at the school, 6210 S. Stewart Ave.
"Mr. Hoard is the first Urban Prep student to be killed while enrolled in our schools," he said. "However, it is not for this reason we will remember him. Instead, we will remember a young man full of promise and potential, well-liked by teachers and friends, and loved by his family."
King said the school would provide support to Deonte's family in addition to grief counseling and "additional safety programming to our students and staff."
He also said the school was also taking donations to assist in those efforts in memory of Deonte at this link.
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